


From New Canada With Love

by ThoseDaysThatWill



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Space Opera, Gen, HockeyNetwok Winter Gift Exchange, I think I'm funny and I hope you do too, M/M, a very loose connection to reality, a very loose mix of Star Trek and Star Wars, it's mean to be fun don't look too deep
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-14 17:14:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29174721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThoseDaysThatWill/pseuds/ThoseDaysThatWill
Summary: "I'm not getting in that ship." Kris shook his head emphatically.Travis sighed heavily and tried very hard to remember to count to ten before he spoke. It was a struggle, but he'd been in trouble too many times for not counting and he couldn't afford to lose this job.Canadian Hockey Players in Space (with a few Americans tossed in for good measure).
Relationships: Kris Letang & Brad Marchand, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Patrice Bergeron/Brad Marchand, Travis Konecny/Nolan Patrick
Comments: 4
Kudos: 9





	From New Canada With Love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Bluejay141519](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bluejay141519/gifts).



> This is a pinch hit fic for the HockeyNetwork's gift exchange, for thebluejayawe. 
> 
> To Blue, I tried to include pairings and players that were on your list, thanks for answer my questions! I very much hope you enjoy it! It's meant to be fun and a little silly. It's longer than I planned and I had fun writing it! Happy belated Holidays! 💙
> 
> [This](https://external-preview.redd.it/avVMjolRNIn-UyKC5MWBuxe3zGx9kxnd1yzpFgC9JJg.jpg?auto=webp&s=d9d95350990ce318d3683163469f4e2e6c66b4b7) picture is relevant to the story.

"I'm not getting in that ship." Kris shook his head emphatically. 

Travis sighed heavily and tried very hard to remember to count to ten before he spoke. It was a struggle, but he'd been in trouble too many times for not counting and he couldn't afford to lose this job. "There's nothing wrong with that ship, your high--" He cut himself off and took a deep breath, "Sorry. There's nothing wrong that that ship, _Ambassador_. And it's going where we need to be and passage is inexpensive. I would _gladly_ book passage on a fancier ship, but _something_ happened to our allotted supply of credits." He bit his tongue not to point out _again_ how Kris had spent almost enough for two tickets to the Delta Quadrant on _one_ _meal_ and he still contended that he couldn't tell the difference between replicated food and something cooked by a live chef except that it cost four times as much. Kris huffed and was about to voice further displeasure when a voice interrupted them.

"She might not look like much, but she's got it where it counts." 

Kris whipped around at the sound of the voice and his eyes went wide, "You!" 

Brad laughed, "I saw your name on the passenger manifest and I had a feeling you'd stick your nose up at my ship." 

" _Your_ ship? I wouldn't think you could afford a shuttlecraft with how often you have had to pay _bail_." He made sure to let his accent rest heavy on the words. 

That only made Brad laugh harder, "You haven't changed at all. How many years has it been and you still want everyone to think you're better than them, you stuck up old frog." 

Travis sucked in a short breath, and seemed to brace himself for the explosion he was sure was about to come, but instead Kris shook his head, and chuckled, "You always did have a foul mouth on you."

"Ambassador? Do you know this, uh, _gentleman_?" Travis asked cautiously. 

Kris nodded, " _Unfortunately._ Many years ago, we served on the same outpost. Val-d'Or, it was called, _valley of gold_. It was a mining colony, supposedly full of gold. That's what they said to get people out there. There was nothing gold about it except the horrible color _someone_ convinced us to bleach our hair one night after far too much Vin." 

Brad chuckled, "I pulled it off much better than you did. Then again, how could I not? Look at me and look at _you_. _"_

Kris rolled his eyes, "I am not even going to dignify that with a reply. What are you doing here? Last I heard you were travelling around with that mercenary... what was his name?"

"You know damn well I'm not working with him anymore and you know why. And you're an ass for bringing it up like that." Brad scoffed, "And I'm going to have to deal with you on my ship all the way out to whatever planet is begging for your _specialized_ skills? I can't imagine your people are paying us well enough for that."

"You can't imagine? You mean you don't know how much you're being paid?" Kris raised an eyebrow, "That doesn't sound like you." 

Brad shrugged, "I'm first officer. I don't handle the financial stuff. I've never had a head for money, you know that." 

Kris laughed, "That's for sure. You've made some of the worst bets I've ever seen in my whole life.*

"I'm lucky to work for the best Captain in the whole quadrant." Brad smiled, one that went all the way to his eyes and lit them up.

Kris shook his head, "I know that look. Tell me about this Captain of yours." 

"You'll see when you meet him." Brad gestured that they head for the ship.

. . .

"All the passengers are onboard, Captain." Nolan reported from his station, "Starbase is signaling that they're ready for our departure at your convenience in a tone that suggests they want us out _yesterday_."

Patrice laughed, "Do you get the feeling they think our ship is a bit of an eyesore?" He always called it _our_ ship, despite the fact that he owned the whole thing outright, and paid the crew a salary to do their jobs. He wanted them to take some ownership of the crate that protected them from the cold vacuum of space, he wanted them to love her as much as he did, they'd take better care of her that way, he thought. He'd learned that from another Captain he'd served under and found it was really true. 

"Couldn't be. Must be that they don't want more people _begging_ us for passage." Nolan laughed

"That must be it. Tell the engine room that we're ready to go. As soon as we get the green light from down there, set course for our first stop, Quinn." Patrice glanced at the monitor to his left, "That's... the Ambassador and his entourage. They're going to Allegheny IV, which thankfully is not too far out because there's no way he'd _wait_ for us to drop off someone closer."

Quinn pressed a few buttons on his control panel, "Course laid and set it, waiting for the order to go."

A crackle came over the intercom, "Engines are purring, Captain!" 

Patrice offered his thanks before closing the channel and giving Quinn the order to go. He could feel the ship start to hum as the thrusters fired and the ship moved away from the docking port and headed out into the inky blackness. The vibration was more than one might feel on one of those galaxy class starships, but Patrice knew his ship and it was just the right amount of vibrations to tell him the engines were working perfectly. Or at least as perfectly as ten year old engines could work. Ten years wasn't much for something made to last a lifetime, but on this ship, only a brilliant young engineering team kept them working like they were brand new. 

The doors at the rear of the bridge slid open, "All the assholes-- I mean _passengers_ are happily complaining in their cabins." Brad announced before taking his seat at the station to the right of the Captain's seat. The phrase 'right-hand-man' was figurative, but in their case literal as well and that was the kind of corny joke that Brad absolutely delighted in. "And before you ask, I didn't call them assholes to their face. Well, most of them anyway. You didn't tell me that Kris Letang was one of them!" 

Patrice shrugged, "Should I have? Do you know him?" 

Brad laughed, "Yeah, we were stationed together for a couple years. I was head of security on a mining colony, he ran the place." 

Patrice raised an eyebrow, " _Ambassador_ Letang was the leader of a _mining_ colony?" 

"Yeah, he wasn't any more happy to be there than he is to be on our ship. The mines were supposed to be full of gold. We never found any, but we did pretty well for ourselves out there anyway." He was trying far too hard to make it sound casual, which meant that it didn't sound the least bit casual, but Brad was willing to bank that he knew Patrice well enough that he wouldn't call him out on it on the bridge. Which meant that he could hope that something else would happen to distract him between then and whenever they got back to their cabin. 

Patrice looked at him for a long moment, before reaching over to grab the front of Brad's uniform and tug him half out of his seat to get a better angle to kiss him soundly. Without a word, he let him go and turned his eyes back to the viewscreen, and everyone on the bridge exhaled slowly. 

. . .

"Is there anything else you need, Ambassador?" Travis asked, not for the first time that day. Unfortunately, each time he asked, Kris came up with something he _did_ need. Travis wished he didn't have to keep asking, but that was the number one rule of his job. He tried not to think about how he got into the mess of having this job in the first place, what mattered is that he did it well and that it was almost over. Not that he had anything to be ashamed of, nothing that had happened on Elgin had been his fault, not one bit of it. All the same two years of service was a fair price to pay to restore his family's honor. Though he didn't honestly know what _honor_ ever got him, it was important to his parents, so he reminded himself he was doing it for them. One more mission and he'd be _free_. 

Kris though a moment and then shook his head, "I have the files to review and enough Vin Blanc to get me through reading them. If you want to explore the ship, you have my leave to do so." 

"Thank you." Travis didn't give him a chance to change his mind, though he knew that literally running out of the room would be frowned upon. Though the ambassador frowned upon a lot of things, it was hard to keep a full list. 

Travis was happy to have some time to himself, he didn't really think there was much to see on this kind of ship, but that didn't mean he didn't want to wander while he had the opportunity to look around. He had been on ships like this plenty of times, with the ambassador, and before he'd been assigned to him, travelling with his family. They weren't rich, it was rare that they could afford passage on a galaxy class ship even when they didn't waste money on overpriced food. But that never bothered Travis, he didn't have any use for the fancy stuff. He liked the ship and was glad to be travelling on something he didn't feel out of place walking the halls of. 

He found himself wandering hallways that probably weren't for passengers, but he wasn't in anyone's way and he wasn't touching anything he shouldn't, so no one seemed to mind. He had a feeling they were used to transporting people like the ambassador, where it's easier to just let them do what they want until they're causing enough of a problem to have to speak up. And Travis didn't intend to cause any problems. 

He heard the laugh through the closed door and it stopped him in his tracks. He didn't know of any species that could do that with a laugh, but the shivers that went up his spine were like nothing he'd ever felt before. He was extremely curious as to who was making the sound and how they managed to do that. The door had Galley printed on a sign over it and he felt that they couldn't be _too_ angry with him wandering into the dining room, it wasn't like he was poking at the engines or anything. But the moment he stepped into the room, the laughter stopped and all eyes turned to him. 

"Oh, I'm sorry if I'm intruding." Travis stammered. 

Of the crew members stood, taking a couple steps towards him, and he felt those shivers again. He was the one that had been laughing, Travis was sure. He saw Lieutenant's stripes on his shirt, and the color told him Engineering of some sort, but that's as much as he could tell looking at him. Nothing about his appearance gave away how he could make him feel all shivery through a closed door. But when he smiled, Travis felt it all over again. 

"Did you get lost?" He asked. 

Travis shook his head, "I was just wandering and uh, wondered what was in here, that's all. I wasn't touching anything." He mentally cursed how _stupid_ he sounded. 

"Well, this is the galley, usually for crew only, but I'm sure we can make an exception if you want to join us." He offered a hand to shake, "My name is Nolan Patrick. You are?" 

Travis shook his hand on instinct. It wasn't a custom all around the galaxy, but he knew it well enough from other missions with the ambassador. He expected the touch to cause shivers because if his voice did, his touch probably would too, but the electric shocks were difficult to hide. It was a moment before he could even remember his own name, "Uh, Konecny. Travis, you can call me Travis." 

Nolan smiled, "Travis. That's a nice name. Did you want to join us? I have chocolate chip cookies." 

Travis nodded slowly. He didn't know what those were, but considering the pride that Nolan offered them with, nothing would have made him turn them down, or his invitation. He took one of the items off the plate and held on to it as he sat in the offered seat. He watched Nolan take one and bite it, which let him know that it _was_ the food item he thought it was, and he bit it as well. A smile spread across his lips, "This is good!" 

Nolan beamed, "I made them myself. Well, I put the recipe in the computer myself. It goes back in my family hundreds of years." 

The other crew member, also in an Engineering uniform, reached up to take another from the plate, "They're better than the ones my mother made. She doesn't believe in replicators though, she makes them with her hands, and they don't _all_ come out as perfect as these." He bit down on the cookie, as if to probe his point. 

Nolan laughed, "Travis, this is one half of our chief engineer team, Brock Boeser. And don't believe him. He's never even _been_ to New Canada, so he can't possibly understand _good_ chocolate chip cookies." 

Brock scoffed, "Cookies were invented on _Earth_ _Prime_. Everyone knows that."

Travis didn't know anything about the debate on cookies, but something did catch his ear, "I was born on New Canada." 

Nolan looked at him with surprise, "And you don't know cookies?" 

Travis shook his head, "I haven't been there since I was really little, I don't remember anything about it. I grew up mostly on ships and starbases and colonies that my parents worked on. And now I work for Ambassador Letang, that's why I'm on this ship." 

Nolan's surprise didn't fade, "You work for _him_?" 

Travis stifled a laugh, "You won't hold it against me, will you?" 

Nolan's cheeks pinked, "Of course not. He's just..." He trailed off, and Travis knew all the words that could fill that blank and liked Nolan all the more for hesitating to say them. Travis had said them all and even more creatives ones, when he was talking to his brother, complaining about his job. 

"He sure is." Travis grinned.

Nolan laughed, clearly relieved he wasn't offended, "We won't tell anyone, but if you want to _vent_ or anything, we love to listen to that kind of thing. Sometimes if it's a slow shift, I'll tap into the general com traffic to just..."

"...be nosey." Brock finished for him, stealing another cookie from the plate. 

Nolan huffed, but he really couldn't argue it, " I am _not_ nosey. Sometimes people put everything right out there on the open com, it's not my fault that I can tap in without showing that I'm there. It just means I'm good at my job." 

"You're in communications?" Travis asked. 

Nolan nodded, "It's not my dream job or anything, but I get to be on the bridge and know what's going on and that's the best part of it. Have you ever been on one of those huge fancy starships?" 

Travis nodded, "A couple times. They're really not as impressive as you might think. Sure they're big and fancy, but when you're a passenger, one cabin looks like another one." He didn't take another cookie even though Nolan gestured he should. They were good, yes, but very dry and he didn't want to impose asking for something to drink, he was enjoying having _fun_ company far too much to risk it. Unfortunately, working for the ambassador had taught him _some_ decorum. 

"Maybe so, but I would still give just about anything to get into the engine room of one of those things." Brock shook his head, "Not that I'm complaining. We're happy to have this engine room to ourselves." He looked to Nolan, "You know how he gets if there are _other_ people poking around in his systems. No one could understand how he's got it all set up, hell most of the time _I_ don't even get it and I helped him do it." 

Nolan looked to Travis, "He's talking about his boyfriend who is the other half of the Chief Engineer team, and half of Brock's brain, and kind of a cryptid. No one's ever seen him outside of the engine room. Brock swears he _does_ go back to their cabin but no one has seen him in the hallways and he never comes in here."

Brock scoffed, "It's not that _at all_. It's just that he doesn't really like people. He's from Earth Prime, from a place called Sweden. I've never been there, but he says he's very typical of people from there." He shrugged, "I don't think he's typical of _anywhere_ honestly. And that's a compliment in my book. Don't you think so?" 

Travis didn't hesitate, he'd been spending too much time around the ambassador to say what he really thought, "I haven't been Earth Prime, I can't say." 

"Good cover, he gets _very_ defensive about him." Nolan smiled, and thankfully changed the subject, "I'd be happy take you on a tour, if you want to see more of the ship. I'm not doing anything right now." 

"That'd be great!" Travis gave him a big grin. He was used to the crew avoiding him because he usually represented all the ambassador's demands, and he absolutely did not miss how complementary Nolan's flushed cheeks were to his dark eyes and pale complexion. Not that he was thinking about that, or maybesuggesting they should share more than cookies before the voyage was over. He had offered a _tour_ not a date, Travis made himself remember. 

Nolan stood and gestured Travis to the door. From behind them, Brock snickered, "Have fun, kids!" While Travis tactfully ignored him, Nolan shot him a withering side-eye. 

. . .

"So you know the _ambassador,_ do you?" Patrice asked. He wasn't even _trying_ to sound casual, like Brad had on the bridge, and that was very much on purpose. Sometimes Brad could joke around when he asked him something, but this was _not_ one of those times.

Brad glanced up from the screen, "I told you that on the bridge. Why are you bringing it up again?" 

"How _well_ did you know him?" Patrice didn't look at him, as he carefully hung up his uniform. He wasn't wearing more than his shorts, but Brad knew by his tone of voice that he wasn't allowed to make comments about his body, this was supposed to be a serious conversation despite the fact he was faced with all _that._

Brad thought about how he could best answer the question to not induce a prolonged line of questions, but before he could answer, the com beeped. _Saved by the bell,_ he thought, pressing the acknowledgement button, "Marchand here, how can I help you?" His voice might have been a little _too_ friendly judging by the pause on the other end of the line.

The com crackled in the silence. "Uh, the ambassador would like to speak with you, sir." 

"Quinn? Why are _you_ telling me this?" Brad asked, curiously. 

"Because I was walking down the hall and he stopped me and said that he had been looking for you and he couldn't find his assistant so he asked me to help him and offered to show him how to use the com, but he told me to call you instead, don't shoot the messenger!" Quinn said, not excitedly, but still all in one breath. 

Brad laughed, "Sounds about right. Show him where the observation deck is and I'll meet him there. I owe you something nice for dealing with him for me, remind me later."

"I will. Believe me, I will." The com went silent. 

Patrice was watching Brad, "So, you were saying?" 

Brad chuckled and stood up, stepping close enough to Patrice that he could pull him into his arms, "After I met you, everyone else just fell right out of my memory." It was a cheesy line, but they both knew it, and that's why it worked. 

Patrice huffed, "I just don't want to hear anyone saying you have a _type_." 

"No one would dare. Because there's no one like you, and _you_ are my type." Brad leaned in to give him a gentle, sweet kiss that Patrice only allowed for a moment. 

He put a hand on Brad's chest to push him back a little, "Do you really think that line is going to work on me?"

Brad grinned, "Yeah, it always does." 

Patrice rolled his eyes, "I'll never admit that. Go entertain the ambassador, but if he thinks he's going to continue to take up your free time like this, I'm going to push him out an airlock." 

Brad pulled Patrice back against him, arms wrapping around his waist, letting his hands settle on his ass, "I love when you get all possessive, it's very sexy." 

Patrice leaned in to kiss his neck, whispering beside his ear, "If you don't move your hands, I'm going to switch to French and once we get going there is nothing that will make you leave this room for _hours_ , do you want that?" 

"Hell yes, I do. But I've gotta be a good first officer, just like my Captain wants me to be." Reluctantly, Brad pulled away, "But hold that thought, and please don't speak anything but French when I get back." 

Patrice flashed him a little teasing smile, " _Peut être_." 

. . .

"This had better be worth my time, Letang." That was how Brad announced his arrival at the Observation Deck. 

Kris laughed, "Of course it's not worth your time, but I've been trying to talk to you and every time I called up to the bridge, you were _busy_. So I cornered the first poor crewman I found and put on my best ambassador voice and made him contact you directly. How is that kid, by the way? It didn't seem like I was _too_ tough on him." 

Brad laughed, "Quinn would never let you know even if you were."

"I like him, tell him that." Kris grinned. 

"He'll be _thrilled._ Who wouldn't want to know that some asshole ambassador from a planet they've never been to _likes_ them!" Brad rolled his eyes, "In topics besides Quinn, wasn't I right about this ship? It's pretty great, isn't it?" 

Kris glanced out the large observation windows into space, "It's not bad, unfortunately. I hate admitting you're right, but it's been a very smooth ride and your Captain seems to run a very tight ship."

Brad smiled at that, "He does, he's really good at what he does." 

Kris raise an eyebrow, looking back at him, "Can I guess what he _does_ besides Captain this ship?"

Brad's eyes narrowed, "Watch it."

Kris laughed, "Oh so _that's_ why you're not upset about that mercenary anymore, that makes much more sense. He's not bad looking, I can't blame you for going there." 

It was quite impressive just how narrow Brad's eyes got, "You shouldn't be looking at him like that. No one should look at him like that, but _least_ of all _you_." 

Kris held back another laugh, knowing full well that would be all Brad needed to throw a punch, "What do you mean 'least of all' me? What's so wrong with me?"

Brad rolled his eyes, "Have you had one steady relationship since--" He cut himself off. It was one thing to joke about each other, or their past, but there were certain things that one didn't bring up in the middle of a joke, and _that_ was one of them. 

Kris gave him a gentle smile for cutting himself off, "No, but that doesn't mean I don't _want_ to. And I think if _you_ can, then there's hope for anyone. Especially me, considering I have so much more to offer." 

Brad scoffed, "If you mean 'more snobbish attitude' then you're right. Any prospects?" 

Kris paused, "Well, there's the leader of one of the colonies we're heading to. They are having trouble with a neighboring colony and they're looking for a mediator. I've talked extensively with him, honestly with the leaders of both colonies, and I don't really see they're going to get anywhere, but I'm not telling them that. They're willing to pay a _lot_ if I can at least get them on even enough terms that they can keep their individual colonies and they don't have to send one of the two back to New Canada."

Brad laughed, " _Another_ New Canada colony? How many of them do they have now?" 

Kris shook his head, glad to be distracted from Brad's original question, "Hundreds, I think, all over the place. My assistant is from New Canada as well." 

"That poor little sucker you have clearly terrorized into treating you with the respect you've fooled his people into thinking you deserve? I saw him wandering around the ship with our Communications Officer." Brad waggled his eyebrows ridiculously. 

Kris sighed a bit too dramatically, "He's a good kid, really. His family ran into some trouble which is how he came to work for me. They're from New Canada too, but he never knows about anything from back home that I've mentioned, so I don't know how long he was actually there." 

Brad scoffed, "Poor kid."

"Not all of New Canada is a nice place to grow up. I think his people did as well as they could for him and I'm trying to do even better, but fairly soon I'll release him to find what he really wants to do, because it's absolutely not working with me. I don't think he likes spending most of his time on transports. Honestly, neither do I...." Kris trailed off.

"But you haven't settled anywhere since...?" Brad asked, though he already knew the answer. 

Kris nodded, "Not for any reason, but I haven't found anywhere I wanted to make a home. I've been reading about these colonies on Allegheny IV, maybe I'll find something there. I'm not against the idea. I'm taking you as my example, who would have thought that Brad Marchand would find himself an upstanding honest partner and settle down to a perfectly respectable job?"

Brad laughed, "Sure as hell not me. But Patrice..." He sighed, "I'm telling you, he could get me to do _anything_."

Kris burst out laughing, "If you could see your face!" He coughed and shook his head as if to reset his composure, "In all seriousness, I am really happy for you, Brad, I always knew that you weren't _really_ made for that party life you tried to lead before. This suits you and it's a really good thing, if you ask me. And of course you're asking me." 

"Of course I am, _everyone_ wants your brilliant opinions on things. That's why we're bringing you out to these colonies, isn't it? They're _paying_ for your brilliant opinion, lucky me I get it for _free_." Brad rolled his eyes, but he was still laughing and he couldn't help giving Kris a little wink. 

Kris rolled his eyes right back, "Next time I need passage, I'll exchange a ride for my pearls of wisdom now that I know you treasure them so much." 

Brad laughed, "Please let me be there when you offer _wisdom_ as payment to Patrice."

. . . 

"It's a nice ship. I tried to not judge it from the look, but well, y'know?" Travis admitted.

Nolan laughed, "I know what you mean, but she is a good ship, we take really good care of her. It's hard to fix what she looks like on the outside but we keep the inside nice because it's our home."

Travis nodded, "It shows. Thanks for the tour, it was, uh, really nice. Not like I usually get with the ambassador, when everyone is so fake and trying to impress, it was nice to hear the, uh, real stuff." He rubbed the back of his neck, "If that makes sense?"

"Of course it makes sense, that's why I offered. I don't think you're like _him._ And I knew you'd really get the ship like we do, there's something about you. And if... well, I'm sure the Captain could find a spot for you, if you ever, uh, needed a job."

Travis blinked at that, not sure how to respond. When Nolan started to hesitate and pause, he had been hoping that he was going to ask him to spend more time with him, or something like that. And he would have agreed. He was not expecting him to ask him to, well, move into the ship, that's a lot more than a date. "Uh, thanks." 

Nolan smiled, "Sure. Do you know what the colonies we're dropping you off at are like?" 

Travis sighed, "I've heard the ambassador talk about them. There are two colonies and they _both_ come from New Canada. They sound nice, all set up with buildings and houses and stuff, not just a temporary thing. Both of the leaders think they have the right to whatever they find on the planet, and they both hate each other, so their people hate each other, I guess. There are fights all the time, the ambassador said, so he's going there to find out which side has the better claim. I don't know how he's going to do it, they started about the same time, and they both have their good points and their bad points, it sounds like to me. I don't know, one of them seems a little tougher, like they'd probably be better at settling the planet, but I guess that's what he's going to decide."

Nolan laughed with a shake of his head, "I'd be such a bad ambassador, I'd want to tell them to get over themselves."

"Me too! I am going to have the _worst_ time keeping my mouth shut!" Travis laughed.

Nolan gave him a somewhat shy smile, "Maybe I should go with you. I could step on your foot if I sense you're about to say something."

That was twice that Nolan had suggested a way they could spend more time together, and Travis was slowly getting the hint. He grinned, "That is the best idea I've ever heard. I'd much rather have you stepping on my foot than the ambassador glaring at me!"

"Great! I know the Captain was planning to send a landing party down, I'll just make sure I get assigned to it. I think he's hoping that the colonies are nice enough that we can take some shore leave, we haven't had any in a while, we were only at the starbase we picked up from for a few hours."

"Believe me, you didn't miss _anything_." Travis shook his head. 

Nolan laughed, and Travis was finding he was getting more and more addicted to that sound. Nolan had walked him back to his cabin, but Travis wasn't ready to part company yet, but fortunately neither was Nolan. While Travis was struggling to come up with some reason he would need him to come into his cabin when Nolan leaned in and asked casually, "Are you going to invite me in?"

Travis couldn't nod fast enough. 

. . .

Kris smoothed out his robe for what might have been the tenth time, "They're late. Check again." 

Travis nodded from where he was sitting in the middle of one side of the long conference table. Kris paced the length of the room, paused to smooth his robe, and paced the other way again. Travis had watched him for a while, but eventually gave up because it made him dizzy. He glanced down at the readout on the screen in front of him, "No messages." He paused and added, "Still."

"Forgive me for being late." The voice that came from the doorway certainly didn't _sound_ as if he was sorry in the least, but propriety forced him to pretend to be. 

Kris turned to him, putting on his best ambassadorial smile, "Not a problem at all, I'm pleased to meet you in person." The man nodded politely and walked past him to his spot at one end of the conference table. Kris' feathers ruffled a little, but he tried very hard not to let it show, "Could I get you something to drink, Mr. Crosby? I could have my assistant get anything you'd like." 

Sidney shook his head, "It's _Captain_ , and no, thank you."

Travis mumbled under his breath, "Captain of _what ship?"_ And he immediately felt Nolan tap his foot and he bit his lip, not realizing those words were _out loud_. At least he hoped that's what it meant and not that Nolan could read his mind. He wouldn't honestly mind too much, but he was sure that it would scare Nolan away and that was the last thing he wanted. He was already feeling pretty happy that Nolan had decided to skip the shore leave his captain had offered the crew in favor of sitting in on the meeting to help him. He had spent a lot of the time they had been waiting trying to come up with a really good way to make it up to him. 

If Sidney heard Travis, he tactfully ignored him, and Kris was grateful, because _he_ had certainly heard him and made a mental note to chastise him later. "I'm sure our other guest will be here soon." 

Sidney scoffed, "I'm not surprised he's late, he has no respect for others, I have plenty of work I could be doing instead of waiting here for _him_." 

Nolan stepped on Travis' foot before he could open his mouth and he was completely right to do it because Travis would have loved to point out that _they_ had already waited for him, and he was probably going to say it much less tactfully than that if Nolan hadn't stopped him. Travis didn't mean to give him an adoring look, but it was there and he deserved it, and besides that he loved seeing Nolan blush.

The silence hung over the room long enough that Kris tried to make small talk with the _Captain_ but he wasn't having any of it. Looking at the chronometer on the wall, he stood abruptly, "I am leaving."

It was of course exactly that moment that they were joined by the man they were waiting for. He brushed past Kris, ignoring his greeting and planted himself at the other end of the table, "I don't have much time, so let's get on with this."

Kris cleared his throat, "I am very glad you were able to make time for this meeting, Mr. Giroux, and I think--"

Claude interrupted him, " _Captain_."

Kris shot a very quick glare to Travis but he kept his mouth shut thanks to Nolan's foot firmly planted over his. Kris nodded, and continued pointedly, " _Captain_. I think we can make some good headway into an agreement in short order if we are able to listen to each other and discuss things in a reasonable and mature way." It was deeply wishful thinking but that was Kris' stock-in-trade, and maybe putting it out there in words would help remind them that they were adults and leaders and could discuss things calmly. 

Both colony leaders glared at each other from either end of the table and neither said a word. Travis tried not to sigh, but it was clearly going to be a _long_ day. But he reminded himself he was _just_ there to run the recording machine to make sure that there was a record of every single word that was said in case they _happened_ to come to a deal, neither could deny that they agreed to very specific terms. He felt Nolan rest a hand on his thigh under the table and suddenly the idea of hours sitting right there with Nolan's hand like that didn't seem too bad after all. 

By the time Kris decided they all needed a small break to stretch their legs, and find some cold drinks, they had agreed on exactly one item, that they both wanted to be called Captain despite leading stationary mining colonies and never having spent more time on a ship than the hold of a transport. But to his credit, Travis contained his reaction the second time the issue was raised as something more important than rights to the large area of cultivable land between the two colonies. 

Nolan tugged him into an empty sideroom, "I'm so proud of you!" He was talking like he'd been around Travis for years instead of days. Though they hadn't been more than a couple feet apart for the majority of those days, and certainly not quiet, somehow Nolan had figured out that being silent that long was a struggle for Travis. He was _right_ but it really stood out to Travis that he knew it, and it was yet around reason that he felt like he'd known him his whole life. 

Travis grinned, "I have bruises on my foot, but it was worth it. I think I can handle the rest of it myself, if you want to do something... y'know that doesn't suck as much as listening to them whine." 

Nolan shrugged, "It's fine. Actually I was thinking..." 

Travis perked up at that, not only because Nolan brushed off the idea that he would go somewhere else, but also because there was a _look_ in Nolan's eyes, a look that Travis had already realized meant that he was about to do something he probably shouldn't, but wanted to anyway. He'd known him a handful of days but he was already head over heels and wanted to do _whatever_ it was that Nolan had thought up. 

"The colonies sound kind of nice, and I liked the way that one of those _Captains_ talked about his people all being like a family, working together and sharing everything they have, it sounds like a good way to be, I think. Sounds like the kind of place I might like to live." Nolan took in a deep breath and slowly released it, "And maybe you would want to do that with me." 

Travis nodded very quickly, "Hell yeah I would." He didn't think about it, he didn't really care _where_ he was living, the idea of being with Nolan was more than enough for him. He hadn't been looking forward to trying to find a new job and a place to live after he was done with his job with the ambassador, so this came at the perfect time. And with the absolutely perfect person, he already knew. "Which colony were you talking about? I kind if tuned them out most of the time."

"The one in the east, _Philadelphia_." 


End file.
